Method for preparing glass bulbs for automatic sprinklers.



A. J. LOEPSINGER. METHOD FORPREPARING GLASS BULBS FOR AUTOMATIC SPRINKLERS.

APPLICATTON HLED JULY3. I912.

PatentedSept.26,l916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

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A. I. LOEPSINGER. METHOD FOR PREPARING GLASS BULBS FOR-AUTOMATIC SPRINKLERS.

APPLICATION FILED lULY3| l9 12.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVE 42k T'TEI NEY WITNESS v STATES PATENTOFFIGE.

smears. oErsme n, E PBQVIDENGE, anoint .ISIJAND, assrenon 'ro GENERAL rmE- xrmemsm comrmr, on NEW YORK, n. Y., a conronarron 0E NEW YORK.

'mnmonronrnnrmme GLASS BULBS Eon ao'r'omarrc SPBIENKLEBS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July'3, 1912. seas no. 707,472.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT J. LQEPSINGER, of the city and county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a certain newand useful Method for Preparin' Glass Bulbs for Automatic Sprinklers; an I do hereby declare the following specification taken in connection'with the accompanying drawings, forming apart of the same, to be a full, clear, and exact descrip- 7 tion thereof.

In an application of even date, Serial No.

707,467, I have shown and described an automatic sprinkler of that type which embodies in its construction a frangible vessel having expansible contents and which is caused to be opened by the expansive or ex-- plosive force of the contents of such frangi ble vessel induced by the action of heat.

The "preferred form offrangible vessel for use in such an automatic sprinkler consists of a glass bulb with anelongated neck.

The present invention relates to the preparation of such glass bulbs for use in automatic'sprinkler's of the type referred to, and the invention consists in a novel method of preparing such bulbs, which method is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be described in connection therewith.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 to 3 inclusive are sectional views of a bulb illustrating the several steps of the method hereinafter described, Fig. 2 showing the bulb placed in a closed receptacle, and Fig. 4 beinga sectional view of an apparatus employed in connection with sealing the bulb.

The frangible vessel comprises a glass bulb 1 provided with an elongated hollow neck 2. The bulb and its neck are first completely filled at normal temperature, as for example 70 Fah., with a liquid containing a quantity ofgas in solution, and preferably with an ammonia gas solution, as shown in Fig. 1. 'The bulb with its contents is then placed in a closed receptacle 3, shown in section in Fig. 2, which receptacle is preferably provided with suitably shaped holding devices 4, 4:, as shown. Pressure is then applied within this receptacle and the bulb and its contents therein are then heated up to a desired high temperature, as for example 160 Fah. The expansion of the contents of the bulb under the action of the heat contents to flow out of the open endof the neck, but the presence of thepressure within the receptacle serves to preventthe escape which will cause a corresponding lowerin of the level of the liquid colunm in the necl i of the bulb and bring the level of such col.- certain point within the neck of umn to V the bulb, as shown in Fig. 3. Inasmuch as Patented'Sept.26, 1916. V

mal temperature-as for example F ah., i

the bulband its neck were completely filled with the ammonia or other solution at 160 Fah. when in the closed receptacle they will be agam entirely filled with the solution whenever the bulb and its contents are again sub]ected to a temperature of 160.

Referring now to the sealing of the bulbs, this may be done in another closed receptacle under pressure, and a suitable apparatus for this purpose is shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, which figure is a side view ofisiich apparatus partly in section. This apparatus and the method of sealing the bulbs will next be described.

The apparatusreferred to comprises a re ceptacle 4 having an opening in its upper wall through which the bulb may be placed in position within the receptacle. The opening referred to is tightly closed by a cover 5 which is held securely inpla'ce by a screw 6 working in a bracket 7 rigidly secured to the body of the receptacle.

receptacle to receive and hold the bulb during the process of sealing. Communicating with the interior of the receptacle is a pipe 9 leading from a pump or compressed air reservoir (not shown) wherebythe interior of the receptacle may be filled with air under pressure.

to the receptacle. 11 is a relief valve which is to be set or adjusted at the pressure'desired to be maintained within the receptacle and to prevent any greater pressure therein. 12 is a burner secured to the end of a pipe Suitably shaped. holdmg devices 8, 8 are provided within the The pipe 9 is provided with a I valve 10 for controlling the admission of air' 13. The pipe 13 extends through the end.

wall of the receptacle and through a stuffing box 14, and so that said pipe and the burner 12 carried thereby may be moved toward and from the bulb to be sealed when the same is in position within the receptacle.

The outer end of the pipe 13 is connected by a link 15 to one end of a lever 16 pivoted at 17 to a bracket 18 secured to the Wall of the receptacle. Preferably the bracket is provided with projecting lugs 19 and 20 and the burner 12. The pipes 23 and 24 are to be connected with flexible pipes (not shown) in order to permit the to and fro movements of'the pipe 13 and the burner 12.

The operation of the apparatus above described will be readily understood. Assuming the burner 12 to be lighted, and to be in its outer or withdrawn position, the cover of the receptacle is removed and the bulb to be sealed is placed in the holding devices 8, the arrangement of said devices being such that the end of the neck of the bulb will be held substantially in line with the burner 12. The cover 5 is then secured in place and the valve 10 is opened to admit compressed air into the receptacle, preferably up to the pressure determined by the relief valve 11. The lever 16 is then moved to bring the boss 21 thereon into engagement with the lug 19,

thereby moving the burner 12 toward the neck of the bulb and into the position shown in Fig. 4, thereby bringing the flame into position to impipge upon the end of the neck of the bulb, which by the action of the heat will be fused and closed and the bulb thereby hermetically sealed. The air-pressure within the receptacle will prevent any mate rial escape of gas during the process of sealmg. 1

Preferably an opening 26 is provided in one of the side walls of the receptacle in line with the bulb with a pane of glass 27- in said opening through which the operator may note the progress of the fusing and observe when the. bulb has been properly sealed. The lever 16 is then moved to withdrawthe burner, the amount of such move ment being determined by the engagement of the boss 22 with the lug 20. The cover is then taken 011, the bulb removed from the receptacle, another put in its place, and the operations above described repeated. The receptacle 4 may be of any desired size to receive any desired number of bulbs, all of g which bulbs may be sealed simultaneously, a

application, Serial No. 83,682, filed. lilarc'h 11, 1916, or to the apparatus shown and described for use in connection with the sealing of the bulbs, Whichapparatus forms the subjectof my application, Serial No. 707,473. What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of filling and sealing glass bulbs which consists in first filling the bulb with a gas solution at normal temperature, then placing the bulb in a closed receptacle,

then introducing pressure into said receptacle and there heating the bulb and its contents up to a desired high temperature, thereby permanently expelling a quantity of the liquid from the bulb, then cooling the bulb and its contents and.then sealing said bulb.

2. .The method of filling and sealing lass bulbs which consists in first filling the 1b 5 with a gas solution at normal temperature,

' then placing the bulb in a closed receptacle,

then introducing pressure into said receptacle and there heating the bulb and its contents up to a desired high temperature, there by permanently expelling a quantity of-liquid from the bulb, then cooling the bulb and its contents and then sealing the bulb under pressure.

ALBERT J. LOEPSINGER. Witnesses:

WV. H. THUlRSTON, J. H. THUns'roN. 

